Chula Vista council advances immigration enforcement ordinance

The Chula Vista City Council voted 4-0 Tuesday to advance an ordinance that would restrict federal law enforcement access to city facilities, limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, and establish new transparency requirements for the city and its contractors.

Mayor John McCann, citing his position as a U.S. Navy Reserve officer, recused himself from the vote, saying he was “unable to participate in an item that would specifically inhibit or oppose federal law.”

The measure, introduced by Councilmember Carolina Chavez and renamed the Safe Neighbor Ordinance at her request, would add Chapter 2.19 to the Chula Vista Municipal Code. It prohibits city staff from voluntarily granting federal or out-of-state law enforcement access to non-public areas of city facilities without a judicially issued warrant or court order, bars the city from sharing immigration status data, and restricts participation in joint law enforcement operations involving immigration enforcement.

Chavez framed the ordinance as a matter of community trust and public safety.

“We are living in a moment where reckless enforcement actions at the federal level have left many people uncertain about their rights and afraid in their own communities,” she said. “That fear has real ...